Happy Birthday "SPEEDBIRD"

IATA ICAO Callsign BA BAW SPEEDBIRD

      BRITISH AIRWAYS B747-436 G-BNLW (CN 25432)     File Photo

In January 1972, a British Airways Board was established by the United Kingdom government following the passing of the Civil Aviation Act of 1971, to manage British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) and British European Airways (BEA). On 1 September 1972 the management service functions of both BOAC and BEA were combined under the newly formed British Airways Group.

British Airways was established as an airline on 31 March 1974 by the dissolution of BOAC and BEA. Following two years of fierce competition with British Caledonian, the second-largest airline in the United Kingdom at the time, the Government changed its aviation policy in 1976 so that the two carriers would no longer compete on long-haul routes.

British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom and is the largest airline in the United Kingdom based on fleet size. When measured by passengers carried, it is second-largest in United Kingdom (behind EasyJet). The airline is based in Waterside near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport.

After almost 13 years as a state company, British Airways was privatised in February 1987 as part of a wider privatisation plan by the Conservative government.

British Airways is a founding member of the Oneworld airline alliance, the alliance has since grown to become the third-largest, after SkyTeam and Star Alliance.

A long-time Boeing customer, British Airways ordered 59 Airbus A320 aircraft in August 1998. In 2007 it purchased 12 Airbus A380s and 24 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, marking the start of its long-haul fleet replacement. The centrepiece of the airline's long-haul fleet is the Boeing 777, with 58 in the fleet. British Airways is still the largest operator of the Boeing 747-400 in the world, with 52 registered to the airline.